Multiple container package



April 22, 1969 G. RHODES MULTIPLE CONTAINER PACKAGE Filed July 31. 1967 IN V/L'V'IUR. Geoffrey Irving Rhodes ORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. ZZZ-142.5 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multiple container package for pourable materials permitting the storage of two or more materials separately until their use and allowing for their discharge and use to be regulated as desired by means of two superposed, relatively rotatable discs with apertures in each, the positions of which can be selectively adjusted to allow the flow of the material in various combinations from the containers.

The present invention relates to a multiple container package. More particularly, this invention relates to a package adapted to carry two or more pourable materials in separated compartments from which they may be dispensed at selected rates.

It has been proposed generally to provide multi-container packages with provisions for the dispensing of pourable materials from separate individual compartments. The present invention contemplates a novel structural arrangement whereby the dispensing of the pourable materials can be regulated in various ways. When the term pourable materials is used, it is meant any material which will flow through an orifice, for example, liquids, slurries and powdered or granular solids. This invention provides various means whereby two or more such pourable materials can be kept isolated from each other in a single package, and can be dispensed therefrom either one at a time or two or more at a time at chosen proportional rates. This multiple container package is therefore particularly useful for packing materials which are intended to be utilized together in certain proportions but which for any reason are preferably or necessarily not to be mixed in storage before their use.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-container package.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a multi-container dispensing package from which the flow of pourable materials can be regulated.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide for the regulation of the flow of pourable materials from a multi-container dispensing package by means of apertures so arranged to achieve the desired flow.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the attached drawing.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a multiple container package for pourable materials comprising an outer container having disposed within it one or more inner containers so as to define two or more separate compartments. The neck of the inner container is located eccentrically within the neck of the outer container and wholly clear of the center thereof. The neck of the outer container is partially closed by an inner disc which is sealed at its periphery to the neck of the outer container and this inner disc serves to support the inner container and also contains apertures through which communication with the compartments is established. There is a rotatably mounted outer disc superposed of and substantially contacting the outer face of the inner disc and this outer disc has a first set of apertures of the 3,439,841 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 same number, arrangement and location as the apertures in the inner disc. The outer disc also has a second set of apertures of the same number as the apertures in the inner disc, each being at the same radial distance from the axis of rotation of the outer disc as a corresponding aperture of the inner disc. The arrangement of the apertures in the second set is such that in any position of the outer disc wherein an aperture of said second set is aligned with an aperture of the inner disc, at least one aperture of the inner disc is fully closed by the outer disc. The portions of the outer closure separating the apertures in both sets are arranged to cover all of the apertures in the inner disc in at least one position of the outer disc. Thus, briefly in summary, by suitable relative rotation of the inner and outer discs the apertures in the inner disc may be exposed by the apertures or groups of apertures of the outer disc or covered as desired.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter, regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement for supporting the periphery of the outer disc of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG- URE 1 with portions of the outer disc broken away.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a dual container for carrying two different materials is illustrated. The multiple container package comprises an outer container 10, an inner container 13 having an offset neck 15, an inner disc 16 and an outer disc 22. The shape of the containers is not critical and can be varied according to the components desired to be stored therein with the only limitations being practical ones. The outer container 10, inner container 13 and inner disc 16 can be made of any suitable materials and need not be of the same material although they are preferably made of thermoplastic materials. In this connection, each can be made from polyethylene, the inner disc 16 being formed by injection molding and the containers 10 and 13 by standard blow molding techniques. The containers are arranged to provide two separated compartments referred to by reference numerals 11 and 14. Compartment 11 is the internal volume of container 10 surrounding container 13 while compartment 14 is the entire internal volume of container 13.

The outer disc 22 can be made of a resilient plastic such as polyethylene to facilitate attaching it rotatably t0 the inner disc 16 by means, for example, of a snap connection, but other materials can be used if convenient or necessary. The outer disc 22 can also be made by standard molding or fabrication techniques.

The neck 12 of the outer container 10 is partially closed by the inner disc 16. The inner disc 16 is sealed at its periphery to the interior surface of the neck 12 by any means such as spinwelding, screw threading and the like. A depending collar 17 surrounds aperture 18 in the inner disc 16, being attached to, preferably integrally molded with, the inner disc 16 and adapted to engage the neck 15 of the inner container 13. The inner disc 16 also has aperture 19 for egress from the outer container 10, and a central cylindrical protuberance 20 which is adapted to freely fit within a corresponding recess 0r aperture 21 in the outer rotatable disc 22.

The outer rotatable disc 22 is suitably retained in a substantially face-contacting, rotatable relationship with respect to the inner disc 16; for example, by snap engagement into a groove 23 in the interior of the neck 12 of outer container 10 in FIG. 1. It will be understood that other means for containing such relationship can be used without detracting from the present invention. One such alternative is shown in FIGURE 2 in which the outer disc 40 has 21 depending flange 41 with an inwardly projecting rib 42 adapted to snap into exteriorly located groove 24 in the outer surface of neck 12.

The rotatably mounted outer disc 22 is provided with two sets of apertures. The first set of apertures has the same number, arrangement and location as the apertures in the inner disc 16. The second set of apertures has the same number of apertures as that in the inner disc 16 but the orientation of such apertures is such that when one of them is aligned with an aperture in the inner disc 16, at least one other aperture of the inner disc 16 is fully closed. One preferred arrangement of apertures for a dual package is shown in FIGURE 3, wherein apertures 18 and 19 are located along radial line 29 of inner disc 16 and represent the outlets from the compartments 14 and 11 of inner container 13 and outer container 10, respectively. Reference numerals 25, 26, 27 and 28 indicate diiferent notional radial lines on the outer disc 22. One set of apertures, apertures 30 and 31, are located along radial line 28 of outer disc 22. These apertures are at the same radial distance from the axis of rotation of the outer disc 22 as apertures 18 and 19, respectievly, of the inner disc 16. Thus, when the outer disc 22 is turned about its axis of rotation, aligning radial line 28 with radial line 29, then apertures 30 and 31 of outer disc 22 align themselves with apertuers 18 and 19 of inner disc 16, respec-' tively, permitting the flow of materials from compartments 14 and 11 of containers 13 and 10.

The other set of apertures comprises apertures 32 and 33. Aperture 32 is located along radial line 26 of outer disc 22 at the same radial distance as aperture 19 of the inner disc 16. Thus, when outer disc 22 is rotated about its axis of rotation, aligning radial line 26 with radial line 29, then aperture 32 aligns with aperture 19 of inner disc 16 and permits the flow of material from compartment 11 of container 10. Aperture 33 is located along radial line 27 of outer disc 22 at the same radial distance from the axis of rotation as aperture 18 of inner disc 16. Thus, when outer disc 22 is rotated about its axis of rotation aligning radial line 27 with radial line 29 then aperture 33 aligns with aperture 18 of the inner disc 16 and permits the fiow of material from compartment 14 of container 13.

By reason of the above construction if outer disc 22 is rotated about its axis of rotation so that radial line 26 or 27 is aligned with radial line 29, the selective alternative opening of either compartment 11 of outer container 10 or compartment 14 of inner container 13, respectively, is obtained. If outer disc 22 is rotated about its axis of rotation so that radial line 25 is aligned with radial line 29, compartments 11 and 14 of containers 10 and 13, respectively, are both closed and there is no flow of materials from the package.

It will be understood that apertures in the discs 16 and 22 can independently be of any desired shape, size or configuration. As a result of this, proportional dispensing can be achieved, if desired. Furthermore, for example, instead of a single orifice, a group of small holes such as a sprinkler can be substituted.

It will be noted that although the embodiment described in detail was of a two-container package the same principles would also be applicable for a package with more than two containers, e.g., three or four containers.

Suitable means can be, and preferably are, provided to prevent leakage on the contents of compartment 14 of inner container 13 and compartment 11 of outer container 10 through any clearance between inner disc 16 and outer disc 22. Thus, the inner and outer discs 16 and 22, may be molded in a distorted shape so that they are elastically stressed when fitted together whereby to press one against the other. Alternatively, or additionally, molded protuberant rings can be employed to act as sealing surfaces, or resilient sealing members may be provided therebetween. The rotatable outer disc 22 can be provided with an outwardly projecting boss or bosses to facilitate turning it to a desired position and can also have detents or the like to assure that it stops in the desired positions and, of advantageous, pouring lips. These latter variations are not described in detail since such features are well known in the art.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multiple container package comprising an outer container having disposed within it at least one inner container so as to define at least two separate compartments, each compartment being adapted to contain a different pourable material, the improvement which comprises: the outlet of the inner container being located eccentrically within the neck of the outer container and wholly clear of the center thereof, the neck of said outer container being partially closed by an inner disc, said inner disc being sealed at its periphery to the neck of the outer container and serving to support said inner container, said inner disc having apertures through which communication with said compartments is established, a rotatably mounted outer disc superposed of and substantially contacting the outer face of said inner disc, said outer disc having a first set of apertures of the same number, arrangement and location as the apertures in said inner disc and a second set of apertures of the same number as the apertures in said inner disc, each aperture of said second set being at the same radical distance from the axis of rotation of said outer disc as a corresponding aperture of said inner disc and the arrangement being such that in any position of the outer disc wherein an aperture of said second set is aligned with an aperture of the inner disc at least one aperture of the inner disc is fully closed by said outer disc, the portions of the said outer disc separating the apertures in said sets being arranged to cover all of the apertures in said inner disc in at least one position of the outer disc, whereby the materials within said compartments are kept separate until their use and can be selectively dispensed in predetermined proportional rates.

2. The multiple container packager of claim 1 in which there is one inner container and in which two sets of two apertures are provided in the outer disc.

3. The multiple container package of claim 1 wherein the outer disc at its periphery engages by snap action with and can slide within a groove on the neck of the outer container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,564,336 12/1925 Fischbach 222142.9 2,376,855 5/1945 Hanley 222142.9 2,661,870 12/1953 Hucnergardt 222142.5

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 222142.9 

